Rebirth: The Ascent of a Socialite-Chapter 566 - 238: Tokyo Fashion Show
Su Ziceng’s anti-invasion intentions required favorable timing, geographic advantage, and unified people. The timing and geographic advantage were addressed by Jim and Sister Mu. Having run Espr in Tokyo, Jim also had previous interactions with local officials, and he knew a number of Japanese designers. Through Jim’s efforts, they quickly secured a temporary stage for three days in the busiest public recreational area in Tokyo Shibuya, and easily found a group of models with an Eastern look for the runway.
Sister Mu showed no signs of weakness either, as she quickly designed nearly a hundred mixed-style outfits suitable for the runway that ordinary people could also wear, closely aligned with the tastes of Asians. Things seemed to be going smoothly, but there was a problem at the critical moment.
It was an issue regarding the runway model. For this show, both Su Ziceng and Jim knew that a model with an Eastern flair had to be the finale, but the issue lay in the fact that if it were entirely an Eastern model, they must have the fame of Lin Ying. If it were someone else, Su Ziceng and her team didn’t have enough trust. However, Lin Ying, immersed in love, simply couldn’t spare even three days.
"Master Pu Wangda’s health has deteriorated recently," Jim also tried to contact the hospital, intending to borrow Lin Ying for a few days, but with the way things were, there was a possibility that Master Pu Wangda could be in critical condition at any time.
"Let’s think of another solution ourselves," Su Ziceng didn’t want Lin Ying’s difficult romance to suffer any further discord. As Lin Ying’s friend, she already regretted not being able to support her at her side, and she didn’t want Lin Ying to have to force a smile on the T-stage during her most painful moments. That would be too cruel.
"What do you think of her?" Sister Mu pointed at Melin, having taken notice of the girl for a long time. Melin was young, tall, and slender. Her mixed heritage gave her an appearance that was both softly Eastern and sharply Western. When they were still in Mo City, Sister Mu had Melin try on clothes several times and had a good impression of her physical condition.
"Probably not," Jim disagreed, as this show in Tokyo was very important. Though Melin had a face that both Easterners and Westerners accepted, she had no runway experience. If she messed up, it would be over. They had invested a significant amount of money and manpower into this Shibuya show, and any slight mishap could result in severe losses.
Melin looked forward with a sense of anticipation when she heard Sister Mu’s suggestion. Among the three people, only Su Ziceng had yet to speak. Su Ziceng, being her older cousin, should have been the one to help her out. After Melin arrived at Mo City, Su Ziceng entrusted Hang Yishao to enroll her into Daquan University. But Melin’s academic foundation was weak, and after getting accustomed to the relaxed education system in the United States, she found it hard to adapt to the educational style in her home country and complained about dropping out after just a few classes, taking a temporary break from school. Qiao Zhizhi often scolded her for this. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
Su Ziceng understood Melin better than Sister Mu and Jim did. Based solely on external conditions and physical requirements, Melin could qualify as a model. Qiao Zhizhi had even mentioned that in earlier years, Melin had been part of her school’s modeling team. However, Melin’s reluctance to endure hardships and tendency to resist fatigue were unstable factors. Su Ziceng knew the significance of this runway show and therefore did not dare to make an immediate decision. "Perhaps we can continue to look and contact renowned models from our own country or neighboring countries to see if any of them have time to take on this show," said Su Ziceng, throwing Melin into cold despair. Overcome with anger, she refused to continue working as a translator and stormed out.
First, Sister Mu contacted several top-notch models in the country, but their schedules were already full. Then Jim reached out to several Asian supermodels, who, coincidentally, also had their calendars filled with various runway events and ribbon-cutting ceremonies. The situation seemed too coincidental, and Su Ziceng speculated that someone must have intentionally sabotaged them. Yet they had kept their movements secret enough, which puzzled her as to how outsiders became aware of them.
Nightfall came like a shadow weighing on Su Ziceng’s heart, unpredictably descending. Melin did not return, and Qiao Zhizhi couldn’t get in touch with her. This mother, who had just returned to the country, didn’t dare to bother Su Ziceng, as she discovered upon returning to Mo City that Su Ziceng’s situation was even more troublesome than what had been described during her time in New York. Billions was such an astonishing figure that Qiao Zhizhi couldn’t imagine how Su Ziceng managed to shoulder it all with her delicate frame.
